Contact Dermatitis Clinic

Patch testing is a method for detecting allergies to substances that come into contact with the skin.

Most patients will need to attend 3 appointments over a 5-day period. In some circumstances this will be extended to a 7-day period.

APPOINTMENT 1: Patients will have a detailed consultation with the dermatology registrar and specialist dermatologist, who will decide what needs to be tested from the series of chemicals available for testing and patients’ own items. The clinic nurse will then make up specific patches and apply them to your back and arms.

APPOINTMENT 2: The patches are removed and your back and arms are assessed to see if there have been any reactions or ‘red spots’ where the patches have been applied.

APPOINTMENT 3: The dermatologist will complete a second assessment of your back and arms to see if there have been any additional ‘red spots’ showing up where the patches were applied. The dermatologist will then discuss the results and whether these reactions are relevant to your skin condition. Occasionally there may be no reactions indicating there are no allergies, but this may mean the person has another type of skin condition. Patch testing is often part of a diagnostic pathway and eliminating allergy is part of this pathway.

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